11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
'The Big Book of Odia Literature' book review
Offering a kaleidoscope of writing from the 15th century to the present, this book is a wonderful window into the concerns, thought, culture and philosophy that details Odia literary writing. The book is divided into many sections: Poetry, which is again sub divided into poems from different languages of the region including Santali, Sanskrit and Odia of course, and Plays, Short Stories, and Essays.
Of course the book features a plethora of writers and the translators who have made their work accessible for us in English. As Editor, Dash has been clever in his selection, picking writings of different flavours, and subjects that engage people at different levels. One imagines a lot of vernacular literature to stem from angst that cannot be articulated except in writing. But here is a platter of delights that range from the sombre to the funny, from the descriptive and poetic to sharply satirical.
The very first offering in the book, which begins with poetry is a deft translation by Dash himself of the 15th century poet, Sarla Dasa's Bhisma's counsel to Yudhisthira. ( Though sadly the title reads Bhima instead of Bhishma ). Much of the advice giving in pithy sentences of free verse, could hold good for those who rule countries and industry houses today.
